More than £6m in the pipeline from Chichester council sales

PROPERTY sales by Chichester District Council now in the pipeline are set to make a grand total of around £6.3m, the authority’s annual report discloses.

The report, presented at a meeting of the district cabinet, said planned disposals included the former Portfield football ground, the former district museum building, in Little London, Chichester, and - once The Grange development at Midhurst had been completed in 2013 - the site of the existing Grange Centre.

It had been hoped to complete two big property disposals - the Tatchells ex-hostel site, in Midhurst, and the Tower Street residential site, next to The Novium, during the last financial year.

But both these disposals had been complicated, with difficult planning issues to resolve.

“The council is still working to complete the sales, with prospective purchasers lined up in both cases,” the report added.

A proposal for retail development of district council land at Barnfield Drive, Chichester, had progressed.

The council had entered into a development agreement, and the scheme was expected to generate substantial additional revenue and capital income if approved.

Work on the new Grange Leisure Centre, which was due to start in January and be open in early 2013, is now expected to go ahead in the next few weeks.

The long awaited centre which is being part funded by a £500,000 gift from the Monument Trust will include a four court sports hall, multi-purpose community hall, two squash courts, health suite, cafe and function area and a 70 station fitness suite.